Born In The USA Outruns Thriller

On December 21st, 1985, Bruce Springsteen‘s album, “Born in the USA” passed Michael Jackson‘s “Thriller” to become the second-longest lasting album in the Billboard Top 10. It remained there for 79 weeks, a tenure surpassed only by the original Broadway cast album of “The Sound of Music” at 109 weeks.…

Who was Irene Hervey?

Who was Irene Hervey?

This week’s edition of “Remembering a Forgotten Star” features prolific actress Irene Hervey, who died on December 20, 1998. She was born Beulah Irene Herwick on  July 11, 1909. Under the stage name Irene Hervey, she was a ubiquitous face on screen, appearing in more than fifty films and numerous television series…

The Music Man Debuts on Broadway

The Music Man Debuts on Broadway

On December 19, 1957, he original Broadway production of Meredith Willson’s musical “The Music Man,” starring Robert Preston, Barbara Cook as Marian, Eddie Hodges as Winthrop, Pert Kelton as Mrs. Paroo, Iggie Wolfington as Marcellus Washburn and David Burns as Mayor Shinn, opened at New York’s Majestic Theatre for 1,375 performances. Where was Shirley Jones? She didn’t appear on…

I Am Woman

I Am Woman

On December 18, 1972, Australian Singer, Helen Reddy struck gold with her liberation anthem, “I Am Woman“. The tune was written by Reddy in collaboration with singer/songwriter Ray Burton. Here’s how she came up with the idea: “I couldn’t find any songs that said what I thought being woman was…

Remembering Walt

Remembering Walt

On this day in 1966, Cartoonist, film producer and master imagineer, Walt Disney died of acute circulatory collapse caused by lung cancer at age 65. At the time, the LA Times noted that Disney, “..won 31 Academy Awards, and more than 900 other citations from presidents, kings and queens, world…